Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-02-13
ECCENTRICITlES OF GENIUS
Some FOlIies and PoIbIes Of
Men Of Letters.
PeeuIiaritlea in Apparel and in Actions.
PredIlsetlons for The Bottle
aad the Pipe.
fRoason Herald. /

bO4to1 MofMt0.l
One aannot hello taking 81 interest In
Great men. Their most ordinary 20
tfons. tkelr Iekes and their pettiost fol-
49, are ecmmemorated Their hsunta,
their hosnes. the apartments In which
fhes have studied, their style Of dress,
an6. above eli, their style Of conyeFsa.
tor. are treasured up IN books and be-
aome 4 faaninat i0n 10 all readers.
TRIES hello 10 dscipheF the character Of
4 man more than bis greatest actions.
What Il his familiar department, hia
private conversation, hls whole daily
hfsf These no he bat sEnah figure,
taken by themselves; In bis wheie bis.
torv they stand cut. however, the most
characteristic and genuine things In bis
All are interested in reading Of Gold
enltk'a plum. col0fed coat, George koz'a
ssIsatharn hull,n Millions Garb Of coarse
cray. MaQliabecehi's great brown yesi
down 10 bis knees, bis broad bFimmed
hat. patched blaak mantle and eravat
eoyeFed With spatteFs Of snuff; Popeis
velvet cap. tye wig and sword; Bafion,
who wsre bis hair In curl papers ae be
sat At his desk writing. One cannot
help remembering the large warts on
the face OF Oliver Crotawell, seoit's
limp, Byron,s clubfoot, and the crooked
little ilgare Of Pope, which resenbled a
n0ts Of Interrogation There also ts
Johnson's rotanaity Of figure and the
spindle shgnks OF Charles Lamb 10
CATERS. The idiosFneraciss, pfeindioes
and appetitos Of greet men Se take an
Interest in-perhaps think too much %
them, bat thsy sll give "a interest "a
their written life. 4 chapter could be
written upan the weaknesses Of great
nen and the strange tts Of abstraction
OF many 81 them. For instance. So
crates, when allied With some idea,
would stand for hours hxed like =
statue. Il ts recorded OF hlm that be
stoed a. II rooted 10 the ground amid
the soldiers in the camp ut P0tsdia.
listening, a. u were. 90 8 supeFnaturai
voios. Dante vas subject 10 ats of alb
stracsions He one day found, IN the
shep OF druggist at sienna.
BOOK HK HAD LONG LOCKED FOR.
He sas down with IL and forgot every.
thing Ia locking il over. aud did not
reuse himself until darkness came on.
Bude. Who was called The wonder Of
France, was q thoroughly absent
minded mao. One day his d0mesties
broke into Dis room and told him that
HE house vas on are. Dent interrupt
me- be cried; ego inform my wife.
Fou kn0M / never interfere Ia hanae-
hold affaifs.n Sally, when his mind
was occupied with great plans OF reform,
diaplayed extreme fits OF fornetfulneas.
Que tiay IN winter, when on his way 10
aharch, be remarked 10 a friend that IL
was very cold. "Not more cold than
usual the friend replied. Then
think / must have the ague," said sally,
ssfoF / safer extremely ffam cold
His companion suggested that be might
be 600 soanfily dressed and. ON lifting
his tunic, she secret vas discovered. he
had forgotten all bis nMderolothing but
his bfeeches. A similar story has heen
told Of tae painter Sioihsrd. when. on
one occasion, be was invited 10 dine
with ahe poet Rogers. On reaching the
heuss In 81. James place be felt excsed.
inely cold. aud, as he placed bis hand
on hia neek. he msde the discovery that
he was without . efavat. He did not
remain leng after making the discovery.
bas hAstsnt home to finish bic sstire.
Young composed bis Night Fhoaehts
with e skull before him, In which he
weald often plaes lighted candle. and
be sought ghostly inspiration by van
deFinx among the tosaos AZ midnight.
Mfa. Radcliffe. Il is said, eoaFted the
horrors With which she filled her gloomy
FomAnees By eating Al night large GUAM
Titles Of raw beef, garniahed pientifnily
with onions. Dfyden used 60 take ply
sio before setting himself 10 compose a
msw piece. An amusing incident u told
of Kant. she German philosopher.
l.. - 49, - .h "a a
fne his attention upon enc Of bis aadi-
tors who were 3 earmena from which q
button had been loea in q particular
place. Ooe day the student
HAD THK SUTTON oS.
Kant. on commencing his lecture thai
day, dxed his eyes on the usual place.
The button was there, and the Astentsh-
meat OF the philosopher Vas 80 great
that his lecture was pooF and aninser
esaing. he waa quits uanerved hy the
circumstance. hufon Was very fond of
dress He sgort4d jewels and hneEy.
wore rich lsesand veiveta. and bad bis
hair carried and scented 30 excess.
Pops, too, vss = dandy, With has wig
and sword, and his liiiia crooked figure.
enveiapea In fashionable attire, vas
made 10 lock like an avsraressed mon
KEY. NottatFe was Also feRa Of elegant
clothes. aud often dressed ia an absurd
manner. nidsxos aaea Travelled from
80. Pctershare 70 Paris Ia hia msFning
gawn and ni2htcse. and IN this dress
be pF0tnensded gka streets and pael1c
places Of the towns On bis r0ate. sud
vas etsen taken f0F msaman. Whlle
composing bis wefks. 40 assd 0fsea b
walk Ae0at az a rapid pace, making
haEe strides, and asxsssinaes throufug
bis via 10 tas sir wien be had stesek a
happy iaea. One dsy a fFieod found
htEa 10 hears. Iioad hssyenag' be sx-
eiaimsSa, $ what - ths msststFn AN
weeptne, answered nsaerot, ~ai s4ary
have 51ss e5@peseA"
TIE tatempeFass % reNts has basn
plainly illustrated IL the hives 81 Par
nell. 0tway. Sheigssl1 SAsaes, Onareh
III. Prior, nggdsn, Lamb and q he's
Rahelais said " Eatise aa4 aFtnatns
are M traa so9rces II inspiration. See
fhis boitleg Il Is asv tVas ard ealy
HelisaB- asy sole ensbski4ssa. nsiak.
tna. / desieeFAge, ard dslihsFssire
drsnk@ six @iilikm ElaNksirHe. Il Is
said. eaMpesad ets Cen aasasagsss wigh
bottle ss vine "a the tahie. fFom
Watch he drAsk largely a. intervals. AID
Addison. willis eesap0Stng. FAees - and
fro hls lane drawing ro0m IS HeiiAaa
House. an&
HAD 4 "a sEs Or sHKEkx
Az each end II shs sassaa, fsou whleh be
wsnla drink Is 3 reward feS 4 gsand il.
Rnisakian. Vale 6ot&smika wrote kis
~ aaaal assaa